


bismuth's garden

by Fluoradine



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: (i guess it is), Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Femslash February, Femslash February 2017, Flowers, Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, this is the softest thing i've ever written guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 06:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9706286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluoradine/pseuds/Fluoradine
Summary: Bismuth really likes flowers, and she also really likes her new neighbour, Rose Quartz.Happy femslash february + Valentine's Day, here's some fluff for my rarepair!





	

Bismuth had always loved flowers. She had been an avid gardener since she was little, planting everything from lavenders to sunflowers in her family’s yard. She loved the way they bloomed, sprouting beautiful petals from little ugly bulbs, growing their most beautiful in spring and summer. Their colours were always bright and soft, from the light pink of snapdragons to the bright blue of morning glories. Bismuth had always known life was better in colour than in black and white, and her flowers were always there to give colour to her life, especially when she was down or upset at something. When she was a little kid, her parents would let her sit in the city garden for hours, just staring at the colours if she had been having a hard day. Flowers had always surrounded her, making her life bloom and grow.  
  
Bismuth had her own house now, a little two-floor place on the end of the street. She worked as an engineer, her days filled with heavy lifting and danger far away from her garden. In her front yard she had planted tulips and peonies, daffodils and carnations. Her neighbours would comment sometimes on them, telling Bismuth while she watered them that they looked gorgeous. Bismuth always took good care of her flowers, even when she’d had a hard day at work, and wanted nothing more than to flop down in bed and call it a day. She made sure they got all the sunlight and water they needed, and never lost any of their petals. After it rained, she always ran out to the front yard to check if the water had drowned any of her flowers. And they still brought happiness to her, even after all those years.  
  
When she first saw Rose, she felt as if the way the flowers had been making her feel all her life had come alive. Her hair was bright pink, and looked almost like a cloud. Her eyes seemed to always be filled with stars and constellations. And her smile made Bismuth feel like she was looking at a rainbow. Rose passed by as Bismuth was gardening almost every day. She’d just moved onto the street then, into a small little house with only two floors. She was so friendly, and everyone in the neighbourhood knew her. She’d left a basket of fruit on Bismuth’s front door the day after she arrived, the opposite of what was supposed to happen. And she waved at Bismuth when she could see her through her window, always smiling and blushing.  
  
Of course, all this made Bismuth clam up in front of her. When Rose passed by her garden, Bismuth would hide her face in whatever flower she was tending to. She didn’t know what to say to someone so amazing - she’d probably freak out and say something awkward, ruining whatever could’ve come of their relationship. But she wanted to know her better. From the little conversation she’d been able to hold, Rose seemed kind, and funny, and eccentric. The first time they’d spoken, they’d each made comments about each other’s hair and how colourful it was. Bismuth hadn’t said anything else to her since then - she was shy by nature, and didn’t know how to have a real conversation with someone who amazed her that much.  
  
Bismuth decided she would start the conversation with the things she knew best - flowers. She hand picked some from her own garden, and bought some she didn’t have from a florist. She bundled up some daisies, lavenders, carnations, and lilies, tying them together carefully with twine. She left them on Rose’s doorstep before she left for work, along with a short hand-written note. ‘Hi!’ it said in her small handwriting. ‘I’m Bismuth. I live a few houses across from you, and just remembered that I never gave you a welcome gift. Hope you like the flowers!’ It wasn’t much, but it was a start. Bismuth went to work, and when she returned home, tended to her garden and went to sleep.  
  
When she woke up the next morning, there was a pink envelope in her letterbox. ‘Hi Bismuth!’ it said in curly cursive. ‘I remember you from a few weeks ago - we talked about hair dye while you were gardening. I love the flowers! Come by my house sometime, I’d love to talk!’ It was signed with a curly R. It took a lot of courage and convincing her anxiety to leave her alone, but Bismuth walked across the street and knocked on Rose’s front door. There she stood, suddenly, wearing a giant sleepshirt with her hair unbrushed. She was happy to see Bismuth, and invited her inside for breakfast. That day, Bismuth learned Rose was great at baking. She even let her try to make cupcakes with her, frosting half of the batch pink and the other half rainbow. Rose told her to come around sometime again as Bismuth said she had to leave for work. Bismuth spent the day at her job thinking about Rose’s smile, and the sound of her laugh when she’d accidentally spilt flour on Bismuth’s shirt. Bismuth didn’t mind it at all.  
  
A few days later, Bismuth went back into her garden, and picked out some more flowers. She tied together some blue salvias, pink carnations, geraniums, and pink tulips, dropping them off on Rose’s doorstep with another note - ‘Hi Rose! These are for you, again. I had a lot of fun with you last time we met - if we could walk through the neighbourhood sometime, I’d be happy to show you around!’ She’d signed her name a little bigger this time, and wrote the note on a card instead of simple lined paper.  
  
Rose showed up at her door the next day, sunglasses and hat on and ready to walk around. Bismuth had taken her to all her favourite places - the pond, the dog park, a little coffee shop, and the florist. They’d bought tea and sat in the park, talking about their jobs, their favourite songs, and what they liked to do for fun. When Bismuth mentioned her lifelong love of gardening, Rose listened more intently than anyone had ever listened to Bismuth before. She’d let Bismuth tell her all about the different meanings of flowers, where they came from, and how you had to care for them. Rose bought Bismuth a pink rose from the florist, and after they’d spent hours walking around, told her that they should have a picnic in the park sometime.  
  
Bismuth sent her picnic invitation to Rose via another bouquet a few days later. She bought peaches, grapes, cherries, and cupcakes, packing them all in a basket along with some tulips from her garden. But as they arrived at the park the next day, it started to rain, and they had to run underneath a canopy, making sure neither of their summer sundresses got wet. Bismuth was afraid she’d ruined their whole relationship with this, but Rose found the situation hilarious. She laughed, and ran through the rain, her shoes off and her dress dragging through the wet grass. Bismuth joined her eventually, laughing and feeling amazing. She dropped Rose off at her house later, leaving her with the picnic basket, fruit and flowers inside.  
  
The next day, there was another pink envelope in Bismuth’s mailbox. ‘Bismuth - if it’s not too much to ask, could you come with me to the city garden? There’s something I want to show you. - R.’ She’d doodled a little heart next to her name, and Bismuth felt her own heart skip a beat. Despite the anxiety a letter like that would’ve caused her, she went down into the city garden to meet Rose. She hadn’t been here in years, not since she was little, but it was still as gorgeous as she remembered it. A million colours bloomed from every corner, hundreds of daffodils, pansies, and lilies popping out from the ground. She wandered the garden for a while, unable to find Rose, but taking so much joy in being around all these flowers.  
  
She was sitting beside the orchids when she heard Rose’s voice calling her name. She turned, and there she was, standing beside a fountain, a bouquet of roses of all colours in her hand. Bismuth ran to her, asking what it was she wanted to show her. Rose held out the bouquet. “They’re for you.” she said, giggling shyly. Bismuth blushed as she took them. She’d never had a rosebush in her life. She looked up at Rose smiling, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “They’re beautiful.” she said. “Thank you.”  
  
The two spent the rest of the day at the garden, staring at the colours of each and every flower in the garden, picking tulips and orchids for each other. By the time they left, they each had flowers in their coats, their hair, and hands, sneaking out giggling. They walked all the way back to their houses, talking about everything they could talk about. Bismuth let Rose help her with her daily gardening, and they kissed again planting the flowers from the city garden. And in the end, there was no doubt about it - Rose was the most beautiful flower Bismuth had ever seen in her life.


End file.
